Grand Prismatic Spring Overlook: One of my favorite views in Yellowstone
Visited Friday, July 18, 2014. See hike details on EveryTrail.
We pulled into the Fairy Falls trail parking lot a little before 11:00. As expected, the lot was jammed, so we went back up the road about a 1/8-mile to the first pullout to park. That was apparently the usual overflow parking as there was a well worn foot path from that pullout back to the trailhead parking lot. It is a short, flat walk right around a quarter mile back to the trailhead and we were walking past the hot spring next to the lot right at 11:00 AM, so ideal timing for viewing the thermal features from the elevated overlook.
The Fairy Falls trail is wide and level, a very easy walk and also runs through some pretty and somewhat surreal scenery along the Firehole River as well as past a couple small thermal features right along the trail. We spotted a Great Blue Heron coming in for a landing upstream of the bridge plus a few tree swallows darting about the river surface at the bridge; looks like some were nesting in the bridge structure. It is an exposed trail, so the normal precautions were in order (sunscreen, hat, water…you know the drill). Overall, it is just a pretty stroll.
From the trailhead to the point where the social trails turn up the hills is about two-thirds of a mile. You can’t miss the social trails as there are several little access trails sort of clustered together. We passed the first group of trails and tried the second batch as I had read that this was the better way to access the hill. After just a very sort climb I realized that this was the hill we climbed in 2011 and while it affords a great view of Grand Prismatic, it was not the really high-ground overlook that I wanted. So back down to the main trail and over to the first cluster of trails to get up the higher hill. Now comes the climb to what I hope is “the view.”
OK, while it is a short distance to the viewing area, perhaps a hundred yards as the crow flies, the climb up the hill is actually pretty tough. The hillside is strewn with downed trees and has a lot of loose dirt and gravel to negotiate. The route up the hill is along a sort of meandering path via a few switchbacks and over, under and around dozens of logs. It may not be a long haul, but it ain’t for the faint of heart either. There are plenty of opportunities for scrapes and cuts while making this climb and even more severe injuries are possible. A tourist was killed on the slope earlier in the summer when he was struck by a falling tree. I’ve heard rumors that the Park Service may install a trail up to the view points; I think that would be a great thing to do. All us tourists are making a mess of the hillside with the myriad of trails plus I’ve seen several folks making the climb who really have no business on this hillside.
As we made our way of the hill, we checked the view over the Midway Geyser Basin, looking for that ideal shot of Grand Prismatic Spring. The higher we went the better the view and it does not take a very long climb to get enough elevation to view the entire spring in its rainbow glory. About halfway up the slope my wife declared that she had gone far enough (remember, this is a tough go up the hill). I kept at it until I reached the open area where several folks were hanging out having lunch and enjoying the view. This was the spot, I think, but I still had to maneuver about a bit to get a more or less clear shot of Grand Prismatic (the downed trees are the hazard while climbing; the standing trees are the issue with getting a clear view).
I just stood for a bit and took it all in. This is truly a magnificent view. One of my favorites in all of the National Parks. The folks on the boardwalk right next to the spring provide excellent scale to the scene; without them, you would miss the overall size of the spring, I think. I tried to get an even higher view, but going further up the hill provided no joy, as the vista is blocked by trees. No worries, I had found the view and it was breathtaking.
We had perfect viewing conditions over the Midway Geyser Basin today, just like we had in 2011 as the warm temperatures (it was actually hot today!) did not result in a lot of steam over Grand Prismatic and being here at noon provided excellent lighting down into the spring. I probably could have stayed up there for hours just enjoying the view, but Lynn was waiting down the hill and we had more natural wonders to seek out yet today, so I snapped a couple more pics then started picking my way back down the treacherous slope. The traffic up the slope was increasing, so maybe it was a good time to leave. I found Lynn near where I had left her. She also had been working the area to find the best view and came away with some nice images of the spring as well. We made our way back down to the Fairy Falls trail and had a leisurely walk back to the car. We added to the critter list with a Mountain Bluebird flitting amongst the dead snags out to the east of the trail as we approached Rabbit Creek. This was a short excursion as we were only on the trail about an hour and covered a little over 2 miles, including all the scurrying on the hillside. But it is a worthwhile little hike to one of the iconic views in the National Parks.
We pulled into the Fairy Falls trail parking lot a little before 11:00. As expected, the lot was jammed, so we went back up the road about a 1/8-mile to the first pullout to park. That was apparently the usual overflow parking as there was a well worn foot path from that pullout back to the trailhead parking lot. It is a short, flat walk right around a quarter mile back to the trailhead and we were walking past the hot spring next to the lot right at 11:00 AM, so ideal timing for viewing the thermal features from the elevated overlook.
The Fairy Falls trail is wide and level, a very easy walk and also runs through some pretty and somewhat surreal scenery along the Firehole River as well as past a couple small thermal features right along the trail. We spotted a Great Blue Heron coming in for a landing upstream of the bridge plus a few tree swallows darting about the river surface at the bridge; looks like some were nesting in the bridge structure. It is an exposed trail, so the normal precautions were in order (sunscreen, hat, water…you know the drill). Overall, it is just a pretty stroll.
From the trailhead to the point where the social trails turn up the hills is about two-thirds of a mile. You can’t miss the social trails as there are several little access trails sort of clustered together. We passed the first group of trails and tried the second batch as I had read that this was the better way to access the hill. After just a very sort climb I realized that this was the hill we climbed in 2011 and while it affords a great view of Grand Prismatic, it was not the really high-ground overlook that I wanted. So back down to the main trail and over to the first cluster of trails to get up the higher hill. Now comes the climb to what I hope is “the view.”
OK, while it is a short distance to the viewing area, perhaps a hundred yards as the crow flies, the climb up the hill is actually pretty tough. The hillside is strewn with downed trees and has a lot of loose dirt and gravel to negotiate. The route up the hill is along a sort of meandering path via a few switchbacks and over, under and around dozens of logs. It may not be a long haul, but it ain’t for the faint of heart either. There are plenty of opportunities for scrapes and cuts while making this climb and even more severe injuries are possible. A tourist was killed on the slope earlier in the summer when he was struck by a falling tree. I’ve heard rumors that the Park Service may install a trail up to the view points; I think that would be a great thing to do. All us tourists are making a mess of the hillside with the myriad of trails plus I’ve seen several folks making the climb who really have no business on this hillside.
As we made our way of the hill, we checked the view over the Midway Geyser Basin, looking for that ideal shot of Grand Prismatic Spring. The higher we went the better the view and it does not take a very long climb to get enough elevation to view the entire spring in its rainbow glory. About halfway up the slope my wife declared that she had gone far enough (remember, this is a tough go up the hill). I kept at it until I reached the open area where several folks were hanging out having lunch and enjoying the view. This was the spot, I think, but I still had to maneuver about a bit to get a more or less clear shot of Grand Prismatic (the downed trees are the hazard while climbing; the standing trees are the issue with getting a clear view).
I just stood for a bit and took it all in. This is truly a magnificent view. One of my favorites in all of the National Parks. The folks on the boardwalk right next to the spring provide excellent scale to the scene; without them, you would miss the overall size of the spring, I think. I tried to get an even higher view, but going further up the hill provided no joy, as the vista is blocked by trees. No worries, I had found the view and it was breathtaking.
We had perfect viewing conditions over the Midway Geyser Basin today, just like we had in 2011 as the warm temperatures (it was actually hot today!) did not result in a lot of steam over Grand Prismatic and being here at noon provided excellent lighting down into the spring. I probably could have stayed up there for hours just enjoying the view, but Lynn was waiting down the hill and we had more natural wonders to seek out yet today, so I snapped a couple more pics then started picking my way back down the treacherous slope. The traffic up the slope was increasing, so maybe it was a good time to leave. I found Lynn near where I had left her. She also had been working the area to find the best view and came away with some nice images of the spring as well. We made our way back down to the Fairy Falls trail and had a leisurely walk back to the car. We added to the critter list with a Mountain Bluebird flitting amongst the dead snags out to the east of the trail as we approached Rabbit Creek. This was a short excursion as we were only on the trail about an hour and covered a little over 2 miles, including all the scurrying on the hillside. But it is a worthwhile little hike to one of the iconic views in the National Parks.